Kelly Brown '04

Staff Vice President Business Improvement, Provider Operations, Anthem, Inc.

After completing a degree in finance at Virginia Tech, I attended Eastern Virginia Medical School to pursue a masters of public health. It was exciting to pair up healthcare and business, and was lucky to have started my career in finance with Sentara Health System following an internship. My first 'office' was a converted nursing home room, where I learned how complex it was to manage payment administration for individuals with long term healthcare needs - but more importantly, taking the time to talk with residents as you may be the only social interaction they have that day.

For the past 14 years, I have had the opportunity to grow my career progressively across a variety of functions across Anthem - ranging from Medicare/Medicaid program management, Cost of Care, Process Improvement, Operations, and Business Development. In my current role as staff vice president of business improvement, I oversee credentialing operations, sanctions management, provider enrollment, and an exciting portfolio of projects that aim to improve the service and value we deliver to our provider customers.

I am a native of Portsmouth, Virginia and currently live in Norfolk with my husband and two daughters. For fun, I love running, yoga, tennis, and taking my girls on new adventures. Taking my family to Virginia Tech football games and showing them my old dorm was especially cool! I also serve as the chair of the alumni board for Eastern Virginia Medical School. It has been a rewarding experience to mentor students locally, and offer 'seasoned' advice that helps to shape their future careers - just as I was fortunate to have experienced along the way.

How Virginia Tech equipped me for the 'real world'...
Virginia Tech taught me about the importance of friendship,building relationships, and getting along with people from all walks of life with different points of view. Everyone brings a special 'something' that makes you a better person for being around them. Today, this is how I build new teams - based on diversity and the fact that everyone brings something important and unique to the business.

Best part of being a Virginia Tech alum...
You are a Hokie for life! Many of my family members attended Virginia Tech and I'm proud to be part of a legacy - and hope that my little ones have the opportunity to be a Hokie as well.

Best advice I've gotten....
Remember the 3 keys: Balance your sleep, diet, and exercise! - My dad

My no-fail, go-for-it motivational song....
Enter Sandman!

A key habit, practice, or skill, that's important for success in my industry...
In provider operations, our goal is to deliver the highest possible value for the lowest possible cost that we can pass on to customers. Because of the high degree of transactions, we have to be focused on speed and accuracy. This means investing in people and technology to drive automation and optimize every step, stage, and task. And many times, this means getting back to the basics!

This excites me the most about the future of my industry...
Making healthcare easy for consumers! This means having a digital first mindset, using data to drive decisions and predict health risks, and improving accessibility.

The most formative experience I've had...
One of my prior bosses let me fail. He offered advice on a particular business decision, and I was determined that 'my path' was optimal. When things didn't turn out as I'd hoped, I spent several months getting the team back on track and learned some valuable lessons along the way. He was also there to support and coach me every step of the way.

The last time I ventured out of my comfort zone...
I took my family to the Safari Zoo where the animals stick their heads in your car and you feed them buckets of millet that you purchase. The animals made a huge mess in our car but we had many belly laughs and will never forget this adventure!

A person who has inspired me...
Roger Federer - Even though he is a tennis legend, he is very humble and a role model. In his matches, he goes out of his way to spend time with young fans and treats everyone on the court with respect. He is a true class-act.

Top of my bucket list...
Take my family to Figi.